Right Around the River Blog

Rocketts Landing Hosts Another Successful Dragon Boat Festival

Post Date: 10-10-2012

We might not have won the race, but that didn't stop us from enjoying another great International Dragon Boat Festival at Rocketts Landing. Last Saturday, around 1,000 people came out along the James River -- and with perfect fall weather and the city skyline as the backdrop, we couldn't have asked for a better day!

Sponsored by Sports Backers, the event was a daylong festival featuring traditional Chinese cultural activities with the main focus on dragon boat racing. Twenty teams competed, each comprised of 20 paddlers, one drummer and one steerperson -- all in a 40-foot canoe sporting decorative dragon heads and tails. To win, each team had to synchronize their paddling to their drummer's rhythm and work together to win the heat.

For Sports Backers Event Director Meghan Keough, the competitive spirit is one detail she sees strengthen every year.

“I love to see the Richmond Community embracing a new sport,” Meghan explains. “The local teams are getting better and better each year and focus on improving their times. The day of the event, teams are constantly checking the results board to see who they have to beat next to win their division.”

Multiple heats ran throughout the day, with the Vitasoy Seadogs finishing as the event’s grand prize winners. BB&T Capital Markets landed the Rocketts Landing–sponsored award “Best Richmond Region Team.” And as for our own Rocketts Landing Dragon Boat Team (formed by Rocketts employees, residents and commercial tenants’ employees), sportsmanship and camaraderie couldn’t have been higher.

“We had a blast at the event,” explains Blakely Newbill, Rocketts Landing site manager and dragon boat team captain. “We raced four heats and didn’t win any, but we made great progress and got faster with each race that we paddled. We worked better and better as a team together with each race.”

The Dragon Boat Festival also featured many land-based events and activities, such as Chinese cultural performances provided by the Organization of Chinese Americans – Central Virginia Chapter (OCA-CVC). An array of food and beverage vendors also rounded out the day, serving up scrumptious, race-refueling fare.

All in all, the International Dragon Boat Festival was a blast for everyone involved. We look forward to hosting next year’s event and bringing Richmond together to experience a taste of China along the banks of the James River at Rocketts Landing.